Memorial Day

Our freedom

We live in a nation where our freedoms to serve The one true God are constantly under attack and we should always be humble and sensitive to that

2 Timothy

Paul writes to timothy, Paul knows his time on earth is coming to and end, he will be executed for his faith soon. Paul is about 60 yrs old, Timothy is about 30 yrs old, a young pastor trying to build a church, Paul is trying to mentor Timothy about how to guide and teach his congregation.

2 Timothy 14-26

Can you see a theme? It seems even back then the church liked to complain, to express themselves, opinions they might have about any decisions that are being made.

As we begin the construction of our addition, some people might get “opinionated”. Sassy. I want to encourage this church, to encourage each other, to not get caught up in the project. Get caught up in Gods good work. If you have something to grumble about, please take it to God, not to each other. Paul wanted Timothy to know and remember the building isn’t about THEM, its about the God that created them. We are to be constantly, God-minded, to be loving on the people God has sent to this church.

You know, if Paul were here while we start putting htis building up and chatter began and gossip starts up and the church body gets a little itchy to express their “opinion”, I believe Paul might have said, “leave, because we are working on a bigger cause than one person.”

For the record, I’m confident we won’t be telling anyone to leave

We have spent a lot of time trying to make people comfortable here. And that's fine, we love you, want every single family member here and the ones to come, to feel like they are home. but church isn’t about comfort, not really, its about building our faith in Him

Verse 3- Join me in suffering! We hate suffering!

Paul describes three very diverse reflections of servanthood

verse 3- the soldier

verse 5- the athlete

verse 6- the farmer

The soldier- a soldier doesn’t get entangled with civilian affairs but keeps his mind focused on the orders of the commanding officer. soldiers who join boot camp don’t walk in to BT and tell the drill sergeant how this is going to go. nope! the soldier is told where to go, what to do, and how to do it, and how long to do it and the soldier does exactly what they are told. Is the soldier getting told WHY they are doing it? Not usually. That information is privileged. You’re on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know. Just fall in line and complete your assignment.

Paul is telling Timothy, listen, you are sent there to complete a mission. There will be people who don’t like you for it, and hopefully those who do. Do not be deterred by those with their “opinions” of you. Stay focused on YOUR mission

And that's what I want us to realize and remember today. Each one of us are on earth are to complete a mission, to please our commanding officer, Jesus. I want to look like him when I work, I want to sound like him when I talk to others, I want to care like Him to those who need it.

Paul tells timothy, there will be nay sayers, don’t listen to them, you keep going.

Let’s make sure WE aren’t a nay sayers. Let’s keep our thoughts and attitudes focused on the mission of serving Him.

Remember the tv show, Gomer Pile. YES SIR!! whatever you say sir! That’s how I hope all of us are seen and heard by Jesus. yes sir, I’ll do it! It’s not about me getting my needs met, it’s about fulfilling the tasks that have been asked of me

In that day, not only was it unpopular to say the name Jesus the Christ, it was dangerous. there were attacks and persecutions, you’d get thrown in prison and even killed over it. Not only on memorial day but especially on memorial day I hope we never take it lightly what our religious freedom cost us. What it cost this country. I believe when there comes a day in this great nation where it actually seems illegal to speak the name of Jesus openly, Paul says, “join me!” As we begin building, cars will start turning into our driveway. Lets please our commanding officer, lets be ready by having an open and inviting setting here. I believe we need to elevate what we believe and stand for because this world is hungry for something thats real, that’s honest, something they can taste and take hold of. Our commanding officer, Jesus, is that, and we have it

consider the farmer- the hard working farmer. We live in the middle of farmland, many of us have lived the life of a farmer or know the family that does. Paul Acknowledges the farm in verse 6. The farmer SHOULD be the first to receive the share of the crops. Pretty simple thought, but notice the part where it says SHOULD BE the first to receive. We have a farm. We sell eggs. There are times we won’t have enough eggs to eat for a meal because we have them for sale and we don’t want to disappoint our customers that drive out of their way to buy from us.

In faith, some of us have done the stuff, we’ve put in the work, toiled the toil. You’ve given the time and the thought and prayer and you’ve sowed, and things just aren't working. Right. As a farmer, as a business owner, as a man of God, I get it. You put in the time, the money, the prayer, and it still fails. I get it. But what do we do? You keep applying this thing called faith. Even when you don’t see it, when its hard, when you don’t feel good, even when the hear and now looks really, really bad and you’re tired and just don’t have it in you to keep walking it out. Sometimes the farmer just has to keep their head down and plow through. You might be in the “my plow is down” season. Where you’re tired, and things are broke. Keep going

The athlete- At the time when Paul wrote Timothy, running was a huge part of that society. Folks didn’t have smart phones back then, if you had a message to send to someone in Big Rapids, you sent it by messenger. They ran. Have anything so important to say to someone that you run to big rapids to let them know? Paul says to Timothy anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victors crown except by competing according to the rules.

Now today think about it. Ask yourself: am I competing by the rules? Paul wrote a lot about runners, he went to Corinth and probably watched from the stands as the athletes competed for a chance to run. Maybe he’d just finished watching races before he’d sat down to write Timothy? Paul says these athletes are running a course, they’re staying in their lane they are focused and they are driven, nothing can persuade them otherwise they are focused on a mission to get to the finish line and not break any rules on the way there.

How many times as Christians do we get distracted and say to ourselves, I don’t like my lane, this lane is too hard. And so they change lanes to a seemingly easier one.

Paul tells Timothy, you’ve been given a pretty tough lane to run in. You’re going to face some things that you aren’t going to like, they aren’t going to feel good. Paul tells Timothy, stay focused. How many of us say, this isn’t fair. the guy next to me doesn’t seem to have to run as hard, his lane seems easier.

I worked so hard and still lost my job. health attacks even though I ate right and exercised. Kids leave the faith even though you tried to raise them right and live by example. Loved your spouse the best you knew how and they still left. Drove the speed limit and you still got pulled over. Made seemingly great decisions with your money and still lost in an investment. It’s not fair, God.

God reminds us, I gave you this race to run. Keep your head down, and run. There’s a crown of life waiting for you. Let’s not forget before Paul was executed, he writes how his race is finished and he will received a victors crown.

We need to all be challenged to run the race well. With intention. Pastor Brian teaches a solid word every Sunday to equip us. But are we studying our own to be solid, to be a bible athlete, to run the race well?

*** play death crawl video

Sometimes we give up on a challenge before we ever begin because we don’t have the faith to know Gods got us.

Jesus, is our coach. and I believe most of the time we ARE blindfolded through the challenges, because our coach, our commanding officer, doesn’t want us to give up through the struggle when we really can go further.

The athlete is getting tired, he screams “I’m getting tired!” The coach says “ then you negotiate with your body to find the strength to keep going but don’t you give up on me!”

“It burns!” Coach says “ then let it burn!”

Today, you might be toying with bailing. You’re tempted to quit. You’re considering quiting. I say to you, soldier, athlete, farmer, stay the course. Lets see what the Lord has for green country in a year from now. Let’s see how many souls can be won, how many lives can be strengthened, how many families can be brought to God, because all of us stayed focused. Didn’t quit when it got confusing. But stayed in the race until the very end.

I hope each and every one of you can take this and chew on it this week. I hope God shows us maybe where we’ve gotten a little weak. Maybe a little disobedient with our orders? Maybe we’ve stopped plowing our ground and planting seed and we need to pick up the plow and get serious again?